Consumer NZ has raised serious concerns about the country’s tanning salons, highlighting the potential for lasting damage to customers. The watchdog is advocating for a ban on sunbeds, citing that operators are permitting young individuals and those with fair skin—prone to easy burning—to use these devices.
Increased sunbed use, especially starting at a younger age, significantly heightens the risk of developing skin cancer.
“Using a sunbed is risky for anyone, but for people with fair skin and those under 18, the potential for lasting and serious damage increases,” Castles stated. “We were concerned to find that even when operators take precautions, such as completing skin assessments, fair-skinned New Zealanders continue to be put at risk.”
An investigation by Consumer NZ involved sending mystery shoppers to 17 salons across Aotearoa, revealing a “disturbing lack of compliance” with the industry’s voluntary regulations.
The voluntary standard advises that individuals with Type 1 skin—fair skin that burns easily or never tans—should not use sunbeds. Operators are encouraged to use a questionnaire to determine skin type, yet over a third of shoppers with Type 1 skin were still permitted to use the devices.
“One shopper was classified as Type 1 by a sunbed operator, yet she was still allowed five minutes on the sunbed and told she could build up to 13 minutes with subsequent visits,” Castles reported.
Since 2017, it has been illegal for individuals under 18 to use sunbeds. However, Castles revealed that operators were failing to verify the age of customers, with two instances where a 14-year-old was allowed to have a sunbed session.
Consent forms require customers to declare they are of legal age but fail to ask for a date of birth or identification.
“Research shows that people who use a sunbed before the age of 30 have a 75 percent greater risk of developing melanoma,” Castles added.
Consumer NZ confirmed that the mystery shoppers who booked sunbed sessions did not use the devices. Instead, they used the time in the sunbed cubicle to complete a survey form.
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